Discover the ultimate Bloodborne Chikage guide. Learn the best stat builds, Lost and Uncanny weapon locations, and advanced combat tips.
Published: Bloodborne Wiki Editorial Team
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Chikage in Bloodborne
If you want to slice through nightmares with lethal precision, mastering the bloodborne chikage is your ultimate test. This fan-favorite katana combines swift one-handed slashes with devastating blood-imbued attacks, making it one of the most powerful weapons in FromSoftware's masterpiece, available on PlayStation 4 and playable on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility.
Understanding how to optimize the bloodborne chikage build can completely transform your playthrough by turning difficult boss encounters into manageable fights. Whether you are navigating the challenging Chalice Dungeons or preparing for DLC bosses like Ludwig and Lady Maria, knowing the right stat distributions and gem setups is essential for maximizing your damage output.
Chikage Variants and Where to Find Them
Before diving into stat allocation, you need to acquire the weapon. There are three distinct versions of the weapon available in the game, each tailored for specific gem setups and playstyles. According to community reports, players often hunt down the Lost variant to extract maximum blood damage potential from their builds.
Weapon Variant
Location / Acquisition Method
Optimal Gem Setup
Normal Chikage
Purchase from Messengers for 50,000 Echoes after joining Cainhurst Vilebloods.
Balanced physical and radial/triangle gems.
Uncanny Chikage
Found in Cursed and Defiled Root Chalice glyphs (e.g., 7h87j4h7).
Waning and radial physical setups.
Lost Chikage
Found in Pthumeru Ihyll Root Chalice glyphs (e.g., 89kdkqhd).
Circular blood gems and radial setups.
Normal Version
Best for hunters who frequently switch between the one-handed physical mode and the two-handed blood mode without specializing entirely in blood damage.
Lost Version
Highly recommended by advanced players in the community for pure Bloodtinge builds, allowing the use of powerful circular blood gems to amplify transformed attacks.
Stat Scaling and Move Set Breakdown
The weapon operates on a unique dual-identity system. In its standard one-handed form, it deals pure physical damage scaling primarily with Skill. Once transformed, it shifts into a blood-imbued blade that scales aggressively with Bloodtinge, reaching an S-scaling rank at +10.
Community testing and player experience show that managing your health pool is critical because the transformed state continuously drains your HP. However, you can rally back this lost health by striking enemies aggressively.
Upgrade Level
Physical / Blood Atk
Strength Scaling
Skill Scaling
Bloodtinge Scaling
+0
92 / 92
E
D
C
+5
137 / 137
E
C
A
+10
184 / 184
E
B
S
Level Skill and Strength First: Reach minimum requirements (10 strength, 14 skill) to wield the weapon effectively in its early stages.
Invest in Bloodtinge: Push Bloodtinge toward 50 to maximize the massive damage multipliers of the transformed quick-draw attacks.
Explore Chalice Dungeons: Dive into Pthumeru Ihyll dungeons using community glyphs to farm high-tier blood gems.
Master the Quick-Draw: Practice sheathing the blade and executing the L1 transformation attack for double damage on your initial strike.
Advanced Combat Tactics and Rapid Poison
Mastering the bloodborne chikage requires rhythm and spacing. In its untransformed form, the weapon inflicts Rapid Poison buildup with successive hits, punishing bosses that lack resistance to blood ailments.
Player experience highlights that the quick-draw R1 attack out of a sheathed dash is one of the safest and most effective poke tools in PvP and PvE alike. Furthermore, veterans note that you can intentionally use the continuous HP drain to deplete your own health bar and reset your items or trigger low-health blood gems in specific speedrun scenarios.
Tip
Always untransform the weapon before exploring idle areas or talking to NPCs to prevent accidentally draining your health down to zero while standing still.
FAQ
How do I unlock the Chikage in Bloodborne?
You must join the Cainhurst Vilebloods covenant at Cainhurst Castle, after which the weapon becomes available for purchase at the bath messenger fountain for 50,000 Blood Echoes.
Does physical attack up gems affect the Chikage's blood damage?
Yes, community testing confirms that physical attack-boosting gems successfully enhance both the physical and blood damage components of the bloodborne chikage, making them highly versatile.
Why is my health dropping while using the weapon?
The two-handed transformed mode continuously drains roughly 0.85% of your maximum HP per second. You can mitigate this downside by rallying health back through immediate counter-attacks.
